Testing device



Feb. 28, 1928.

E. G. THOMAS TESTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29. 1924 gwuento'o Edvard a Tia/r7 Patented Feb. 28 1928 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

EDWARD G. THOMAS, OF TOLEDC OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO TOLEDG SCALE GSMPAN'Y, OF TOLEDO, GHIO, A CGRPORATION 013 NEW JERSEY.

TESTING DEVICE.

Application filed September 29, 1924. Serial No. 740,484.

This invention relates to testing devices, and more particularly to devices for testin the weight per unit of length of a strip of '.bric or other material. It is desii ole that coat-ed fabrics and similar products be of uniform weight, and calendering machines are commonly provided with means whereby the weight of the coating may be increased or decreased. In t io coating or inmregnating of the majority of fabrics, the rolls of the calenderin machine are heated and as the coated faoric comes from the machine the coating is hot and plastic and has a tendency to adhere to the rollers of the testing device, thereby increasing the weight of the rollers and resulting in an error in the indication.

Gne of the principal objects of this invention is the provision of effective means for preventing the sof and plastic coating from adhering to the rollers of the testing device.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a roller embodying self-contamed heating elements, thus decreasing the liability of an accidental fire and insuring even heating of the roller.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a heated roller for a testing device which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture and which re quires little attention when in operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodh ments of my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings Figure I is a fragmentary elevational view of a testing device embodying one form of my invention;

Figure II is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the roller, taken substantially on the line IIII of Figure I; and

Figure III is a view similar to Figure II showing a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I have not shown a calendering machine in connection with my device as it forms no part of the present invention. The mechanism of the testing device per se is supported and housed in a substantially rectangular frame 1 and comprises a main lever 3 fulcrumed upon a stand l which supports a roller 5 adapted to support a strip of fabric- (5 to be tested. The nose end of the lever 3 is pivotally connected by means of a stirrup 7 and S to a loadrounicrhalancing rollers (not shown) and the roller 5 carried by the lever 3. The weight oi: the fabric n'lay then be of set or counterbalanced by means of poise in slidably mounted upon a beam 13 carried by the lever 25, and when the poise been properly positioned the indicator hand 10 will swing into registration with a predetermined point on the chart on the roller 5 in tangency with the plane tangent to the stationary rollers (not shown).

Since the roller 5 supports half the portion of the strip between the stationary rollers, it is evident that any increase in the weight of that part of the strip will depress the roller and any decrease will allow it to swing upwardly. Either movement of the roller will cause the hand 10 to swing away from the central point on the chart and thus indicate a change in we li'.

This mechanism is more completely do scribed and claimed in my co-pending application tier. No. 465.13%, filed April 28. 1921.

In. the process of coating fabrics, for example, impregnating roofing material, applying rubber to fabric, etc, the coating is usually heated in order that it will adhere to the fabric. and as the coated material comes from the coating machine the coating is soft and plastic and tends to leave the fabric and pile up on or adhere to the rollers. lVhen the coating adheres to the roller 5 it effects an increase in the weight of the roller and results in a change of position of the indicator hand 10, thus erroneously indicating an increase in weight of the coated material when, in fact, a portion of the coating has left the fabric, actually decreasing the weight of the finished product.

In order to obviate the tendency of the coating to adhere to the roller 5 I have prohas a cylinder 18 of a lesser diameter than that of the roller 5. The exterior surface 01 the cylinder 18 is coated with porcelain or other suitable insulating material and the cylinder surrounded by a series of heating elements 19. One connection to the heating elements is shown in Figure 11, It terminates in a rod 20 which is prevented from contacting with any portion of the flanged member 15' and associated" mechanism by means 01" a porcelain insulator 21. .The rod 20 is provided with a rounded head 22 normally contacting with a finger 23 tixed to the lever 3 and connected to a source of electrical energy. The connectionat the other endof the roller substantially identical with the connection just described.

It will be apparentthat the finger 23 always remains in contact with the head 22 even during rotation of the roller, as the respective axes of the rod 20 and roller 5 are coincident.

The means supporting the opposite end of the roller 5 corresponds substantially to that hereinbetore described, the lever supporting this end of the roller notbeing connected to any load-counterbalancing or indicating mechanism. 1

From the foregoing it will be obvious that when the heating elements are energized the surface of the roller 5 will become heated through radiation of heat from the elements 19 and tend to eliminate the adhering or piling up of the coating on the roller.

In the modified tormshown in Figure 111 each end of the roller 5. is fixed to a flanged annulus or ring 15 which mounted on anti-friction bearings 16 supported upon a member 25. The member-'25 being lined in the lever 3 is movable only with the lever and does not rotate with the roller 5.

The cylindrical member 18, which porcelain or insulated in some suitable man ner, supports the heating-elements 19 and is secured 'to' the stationarymember 25. With this type of construction the roller mayrotate independently of the heating elements and thus decrease the weight which must be supported on the bearings 16, and

the heat'ing elements imay be directly con-- nected to a source of energy without the said weighing mechanism, and n eans for heating the surface oit' said roller. 2. In adevice ot the class described, in

combination, weighing mechanism including a lever, a roller rot-atably supported in said lever, and means for heating said roller.

' 8. In a device of the class described, in combination, weighing and indicating mech anism, a roller, means connecting said'roller to said mechanism whereby said mechanism is moved by movementtof said roller, was" heating element contained in said roller 4. in a dev ce of the class describes, in

combination, weighing mechanism including a lever, a roller rotatably supported in said; lever, and an electrically energized elementadapted to heat said roller, said elementbe ing rotatable with said roller.

5. In a device of the class described, in

combination, weighingmechanism, a' roller operatively connected to said weighing mechanism and adaptedto support'a strip of moving material, and a heating element contained in said roller.

6. In a device for detecting variations in weight per unit of length of a moving strip. or material, in combination, a rotatable sup port for the strip ofmaterial, a weighing and indicating device connected to saidsup port, andmeans for heating said support.

7. In a device for detecting variations in wei 'ht of a moving strip of inaterialga roller lor supporting said'strip of materiaha wei ht-indicatifm and loadcounterbalancing mechanism connected to said roller, and a stationary heating element contained in said roller. i

8 In a device for detecting variations in weight of a moving strip of material, weighing and indicating mechanism including a lever, a roller supported by said lever, and a heating element contained within said roller, said roller being rotatable independently of said heating element.

' EDl VARD G. THOl dAS. 

